Taking up exercise (again) after a break
If you are like me, I often do massive bouts of exercise, then i get injured, ill or busy. A week break turns into something longer and the discipline is lost. I also find when i have a break from exercise my stamina and strength has dipped and Just as I was taking two steps forward, it looks like I’m two maybe three steps back. However, it doesn’t have to be. Yes the momentum has gone and I’m weaker than I was before, but a healthy lifestyle is a journey after all. There will be setbacks and triumphs along the way. So if you are returning to fitness after a break of some sort, here are a few things you can do.
1. Do something
We can think and talk about getting healthy or doing some exercise but actually doing something will really make the difference. Just make one decision. Doing something healthy can just be grabbing an apple instead of a chocolate bar. Going for a 10 minute walk rather than sitting down for 10 minutes is something rather than nothing.
2. Start small
This is something I battle with all the time. I get overwhelmed with my overall goal and do nothing or am inconsistent. However starting small is powerful. It brings the thought into action, It’s manageable and it’s something that leads to another step closer to your goal.
3. Focus on the present not what you could do in the past
As I have mentioned earlier, a healthy lifestyle is a journey that will lead you towards your goal. Your journey will have twists and turns, highs and lows but if you stick at it you will eventually reach your destination. Sometimes it’s good to look at past achievements, however sometimes this can disempower you if you have taking a few steps back. I remember after I gave birth to my second child, I would sometimes go for a run (which took every bit of mental and physical energy I had to get outside). It would be a struggle to run and I would have to walk. Instead of encouraging myself that I actually made it outside and was moving my body, I would think about how fit I used to be and how I’m no longer that way. Thinking of how I was in the past made me think how crap I was in the present. Which made the whole exercise experience awful and something I didn’t want to do. To avoid feeling of crap, I avoided exercise altogether. Try and focus on where you are now, be positive and practice gratitude. So you may not have the energy to run that 5k you used to do, celebrate that you walking/running/ moving as far as you can today. Keep going, keep showing up, keep moving or making a healthier choice. Focus on where you are at in your journey to propel yourself forward.
4. Give yourself time and go easy on yourself
Staying on the fact that your healthy lifestyle is a journey. Remember a journey will take as long as it takes to get to a destination. If returning to exercises after a break, ease yourself back, give yourself plenty of time. Be patient with your body. Make allowances for your body’s healing process. Try not to compare yourself to other people’s abilities. Remember something however small is better than nothing. Keep making healthy decisions however small, just make it manageable. Celebrate showing up no matter what the outcome is. You will get to where you want to go eventually.